Late December, Konoha Year 60 – Konoha Village
The New Year was just two days away. Snowflakes drifted from the sky, blanketing the village buildings in a layer of silvery white. Though deep winter had set in, the streets bustled with villagers. The happiest establishments, however, were the restaurants, as these few days marked the busiest time of the year for the village.
Lazily nestled in her warm quilt, Sakura cracked open her emerald eyes just a sliver. Winter sunlight fell upon her snow-like skin. The sun was already high in the sky, but the girl had absolutely no desire to crawl out from under the covers.
If the greatest happiness in summer was snuggling under the covers with the air conditioner blasting, then winter was the perfect weather to indulge this guilty pleasure naturally.
The two little lolitas on the bunk bed opposite hers were already gone. Outside the window, the chirping of birds seemed to be urging the girl to wake up.
She let out a long yawn and burrowed deeper into the quilt, leaving only her bright eyes exposed. However, life rarely goes exactly as planned. Just as she was about to close her eyes and sleep a little longer, the room door was violently flung open.
The sound of thump-thump footsteps approached, growing louder, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Danger drew near. Then, she felt the quilt covering her body gradually pull away. Instantly, a blast of cold air assaulted her.
Faced with the unbearable chill, the girl's survival instincts kicked in. She quickly hugged her knees to her chest, curling into a ball as tightly as possible to protect her vulnerable stomach and chest.
She withstood the attack of the cold air, but a new wave of assault immediately followed.
"How long do you plan on sleeping?!" This sonic attack was even more potent than the mere cold air. The voice carried an icy quality that attacked the soul directly, dismantling defenses from within. Truly a Kekkei Genkai mixing two attack attributes, Sakura thought wryly. Maybe I should call it... the Lion's Roar Technique!
"But there's nothing to do today! Let me sleep a little longer, Mom..." the girl whined, still curled up, squinting at the enemy unleashing the Lion's Roar.
Mebuki Haruno's face darkened. Hearing that sickeningly sweet voice and seeing Sakura curled up in an incredibly cute ball made the corner of her mouth twitch uncontrollably. Only at times like these did she remotely resemble a girl. However... I absolutely cannot be fooled today.
"What do you mean there's nothing to do?! The festival is tomorrow! Get up and help buy things!" Mebuki ordered sternly.
"Okay, okay... I know..." Sakura verbally agreed, but snuggled even tighter into her ball.
Seeing Sakura remain motionless, Mebuki finally lost her patience. She reached out and pinched Sakura's ear. "If you know, then get moving!"
"Ow, ow, ow..." The ear-pinching instantly banished all sleepiness. Sakura shot upright in bed.
"Yo ho ho~~ Is Sakura still not up yet?" Kizashi Haruno's voice came from the doorway.
"What are you doing, dear?! Don't just walk into Sakura's room! She's twelve years old now!" Mebuki immediately turned and scolded her husband.
"Ah... haha... Sorry, sorry." Kizashi clearly realized his mistake and quickly retreated, thinking with some emotion, "She really has grown up."
"Hmph, then why did you come in..." Sakura grumbled under her breath to Mebuki while changing her clothes.
"What did you just say?!" Mebuki glared at Sakura, her face dark.
Then, seeing Sakura out of her pajamas, Mebuki's expression suddenly changed to surprise. She reached out, stopping Sakura from putting on her shirt, and gently touched the ugly scar on her abdomen. "What happened here?"
"Ah, this..." Sakura looked down at the scar, feeling nervous. "It's an injury from a mission. It's all healed now."
Sakura hadn't removed this scar, letting it remain as a constant reminder of how her curiosity had nearly cost her life – a lesson learned. However, her parents didn't know about it; she had never mentioned it.
Hearing this, Mebuki's eyes filled with worry. Although she and Kizashi had sent Sakura to the Ninja Academy, they hadn't intended for her to become a combat ninja. The Academy taught not only ninja skills but also literacy and other subjects. All age-appropriate children in Konoha attended the Academy, but not all became ninja. Those who didn't often took up various professions within the village upon adulthood. Furthermore, ninja roles weren't limited to combat; many served in administrative positions. Thus, the Academy wasn't just a filter for combat types; students unsuited for combat would be absorbed into various sectors of Konoha's society.
Mebuki and Kizashi initially never expected Sakura to become a combat ninja. When Sakura later began studying medical ninjutsu under Lady Tsunade, it had eased their worries considerably. But seeing such a severe injury on Sakura today truly alarmed Mebuki.
However, Mebuki wasn't unreasonable. Living in a hidden village, having their child recognized by the Hokage was an honor. As parents, all they could do was offer silent support. No matter how worried she was, Mebuki wouldn't obstruct Sakura's path as a ninja.
"Be more careful from now on!" Mebuki finally instructed after a long silence.
"Relax, relax! It was just an accident. It definitely won't happen again," Sakura quickly reassured her mother, seeing the worry in her eyes, and hastily pulled on her clothes, lest her mother also see the scar on her back.
After dressing and washing up, Sakura scarfed down a few bites of breakfast and headed out. As soon as she stepped outside, she shivered violently, instinctively wrapping her arms around herself. Even with the sun out, the weather was still freezing.
She pulled out the note her mother had given her, listing the required purchases: Nengajo (New Year's cards), Shimenawa (sacred ropes), herring roe, mochi, sweet black beans, Tososhu (spiced sake), fugu (pufferfish), chestnuts, and ingredients for Ehomaki.
Sakura felt a headache coming on just looking at the list. When she was little, her mother always handled the New Year preparations. Sakura hadn't paid any attention, only caring if things tasted good. During her three years with Tsunade-sensei, Tsunade never bothered with these traditions either; at most, they'd go out for a big meal to celebrate.
The first few items were manageable, but ingredients for Ehomaki? Her mother hadn't listed them! This was just making things difficult for her...
Better ask someone. Sakura went to her usual snack shop and saw Misa-obasan busy inside.
"Well, hello Sakura! What can I get for you today?" Misa-obasan asked with a warm smile upon seeing her enter.
"Misa-obasan, I'm not here to buy anything today. I wanted to ask what ingredients are needed for Ehomaki," Sakura said politely.
"Ah, getting ready for the New Year festivities, are we?" Misa-obasan chuckled. "Wait a moment, I'll write them down for you."
"Thank you so much, Misa-obasan," Sakura said gratefully. This small shop wasn't far from her house, and she had loved getting snacks here since she was little. Ever since returning to the village, she still dropped by from time to time.
"Here you go, these are the ingredients you'll need," Misa-obasan handed Sakura a piece of paper.
"Thank you very much! I'll be going now, Misa-obasan," Sakura took the note and bid her farewell.
Watching Sakura's retreating back, Misa-obasan's face softened with nostalgia. She's really grown up. She was just a little girl not long ago.
Clutching the ingredient list Misa-obasan had provided, Sakura navigated the bustling streets and alleys of Konoha. The streets were exceptionally lively, crowded with villagers doing their New Year shopping. It seemed everyone was preparing for the festival.
Fortunately, some sharp-eyed merchants had conveniently bundled many of the necessary New Year items together, saving Sakura considerable effort. However, things like Nengajo and Shimenawa still had to be purchased separately.
Her hands laden with bags of groceries and supplies, Sakura eventually wound her way to a shop selling Shimenawa and Nengajo. There, however, she unexpectedly encountered someone: Sasuke.
Come to think of it, Sakura hadn't seen Sasuke in quite a while. Since returning to the village, Naruto still sought her out almost daily, but Sasuke was rarely seen outside of missions. She wondered what he had been busy with.
"Hey, Sasuke," Sakura called out. He was engrossed in looking at the shop's merchandise and hadn't noticed her arrival.